How to Navigate Office Politics and Avoid Needless Drama

Ask your contacts in any new environment.

• Are there sensitive topics that I shouldn't discuss without talking to you first?
• Can you draw an organizational chart for me?
• Who should my main point of contact be for this project?
• Is there a certain process I should follow for this task? Is it okay if I talk to this person first?
• With whom should I be engaging?

With a clear understanding of how they work and are their organizational hierarchy, you're less likely to do something that will cause unnecessary drama or miscommunication.

If you are new to an office environment you should be listening 95% of the time. Ask a lot of questions to get a good understanding of how things work.

The thing with office politics is that you don't know what the trigger words are.

Every office has trigger words that get everyone up in a frenzy once someone blurts them out.

Unless 100% of the recipients will find your information useful, only reply directly to the sender.

"Reply all" is too often the cause of office drama. Always be sure to check if you've accidentally clicked "reply all" before sending a sensitive message.

• Best time to start drama (if there is a "best" time): Monday afternoon.
• Worst time to start drama: Friday afternoon.

If you find yourself in a heated battle, try and find a way to collaborate and find a middle ground to deal with the issue at hand.